[Sportschosun reporter Jang Jong-ho] A man in the United States has had the rare luck of winning the same lottery game twice over 15 years.
The New York Post, citing an announcement from the Illinois Lottery, reported that an unidentified man won $1.3 million, or about 2 billion won, with a Lucky Day Lotto ticket he bought last month at a gas station store in Oswego, Illinois.
Players can either choose five numbers from 1 to 45 or let the system pick them automatically. Each game costs $1.
The winning numbers drawn on the 11th of last month, local time, were 1, 13, 19, 27 and 35. He was the only first-prize winner to match all five numbers.
He reportedly bought the ticket using the automatic number selection option while stopping by the store to buy a drink.
He recalled, "I stopped by the store to buy a drink and thought, 'Why not give it a try?'" He added, "I chose the automatic numbers, and that day really was my lucky day." He said he could not believe it at first and thought, "Am I dreaming?" He plans to use the prize money to buy a new home for his family and to save for retirement with his wife.
The win drew even more attention because he had already experienced a major stroke of luck in the same Lucky Day Lotto game before.
He said, "Fifteen years ago, when this game was called Little Lotto, I also won $45,000, or about 70 million won." He added, "I never imagined I would win again in the same game."
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
